QNAP TS-251+-2G 2 Bay Desktop High-performance NAS Enclosure - 2 GB RAM, Intel Celeron 2.0 GHz Quad Core Processor, Black

As a previous QNAP owner and in need of another NAS drive, I looked at numerous reviews to see what was available and worth looking at. Settled eventually for the QNAP TS-251+. What swung it for me was the ability to have VMs of Windows and Linux allowing me to setup testbeds that could be accessed remotely. Useful in my line of work. The drive has numerous features that I will not go into here but suffice to say it will fulfil the needs of different groups of people. I purchased the 2gb version, then purchased 8gb of ram of Crucial ram for a total cost far less then the 8gb version of this drive. Replacing the existing ram was straight forward although my first attempt did not work as the module was not properly seated and the drive would not start properly. The second slot for the ram is in an awkward position and required a bit of careful manoeuvring. Setup was relatively easy although because of the numerous options available can be a bit bewildering to newcomers. The UI is quite easy to navigate and the multimedia features work very well. QNAP include a catalog of "apps" that increase the functionality of the drive, some built in and others that can be easily downloaded. Examples are photo station, file station, video station, music station, backup station. It can also act as a Plex Media server, an ITunes server and Twonkymedia server. The addition of the HDMI port is a useful feature. I linked the drive to my TV and using the included remote was able to navigate through the options. Streaming features work extremely well and I have so far not noticed any lags or stuttering when watching movies stored on the NAS via DLNA/Twonkymedia on my Samsung TV. It is also quite easy to map drives to the NAS on my PC which allows me direct access to stored files and allows me to setup programs to backup to the drive on a regular basis. Suffice to say I would definitely recommend this drive although given the plethora of features, it is more suited to those wishing to do more then just use it as a simple backup device or file server. Note that some have commented on the firmware upgrade causing problems. I have upgraded to the latest 4.2.1 and everything is working fine.

So I wanted to a NAS for a number of reasons, those included;1. Plex for my media library.2. Remote Virtual Machines to run Linux.3. Backups for all devices at home.Now my main concerns were processor power for Plex connected to my 43" 4k TV and ram for the virtual machines.The first thing I did was upgrade the ram, ordered an 8GB kit at the same time as the NAS at £63. So that fixed any concerns over maxing out the ram, although I do recommend upgrading it as 2GB is not great you will probably get by if you are not running lots of apps, especially virtual machines.The processor you can't do anything with, it is what it is. Now for Plex, it recommends a processor with at least a 2k pass mark for a single 1080p video stream. The processor benchmark is 1861, not optimal but handles it fine, the key is to avoid transcoding whilst you watch however that is beyond this review. Plugged into my TV through the HDMI port it performs incredibly well and everyone is happy with the quality.Other than that the device has many apps and it's quite easy to install, keep up to date and understand when it needs to be updated.I am using 2 3TB Western Digital Red drives in the unit, performance is good and in the 6 months since I set up the NAS it has been running without a single issue.So overall and with 6 months of use in hand I can honestly say it has been a great purchase and my concerns around it being powerful enough for my needs very quickly disappeared. Helped of course with a ram upgrade.If there is anything I could pick at it is that it can be quite noisy when you are sitting watching something on Plex. Not overly but noticeable.

To be honest with you, I don't understand how this works but it's very easy to use on your network, I would recommend have a friend who knows what he or she is doing, I have had this Qnap set-up that's replaced my PLEX server it's very much cheaper to use at around 9p per day from what my other 450watt server was using on the electricity of about £7.00 a week. Ohh by the way PLEASE NOTE MAKE SURE when changing over to this qnap from a server like myself you need to back-up your old server before using the new one because QNAP will fully formatt/delete your hard-drive in BAY 1 you'll need to copy your movies and TV Shows back after formatt.Anyway this system is very fast especially I've had no trouble at streaming full 4k movies on my plex however remember my 4k files are. MP4 Web-optimised some files at (H265-10BIT) Others.. 4k movies at H265 & H264 my friends have not reported any buffering issues all seems better. But yea I do recommend this but also have a 1TB ssd in Bay 2 to boost/cashe performance on a 12tb Western digital RED NAS Hard drive this is what I have anyway, all setup by my friend

Muito bom!

Excellent product and it arrive on time! Its a number one for me.

QNAP is great. But check the warranty. They offer no cross shipping on warranties unless you purchase an extended warranty within 60 days leaving you to wait several weeks for a replacement. Also, only extended warranties are available for higher model units.

La instalacion no fue muy facil, aunque con un poco de esfuerzo el sistema esta en orden. Me sirve como dico en la nube privado. Puedo acceder desde cualquier parte, de casa y fuera y me proporciona una gran cantidad de espacio para fotos, videos, ...

I had struggled with open media vault through a Raspberry Pi unit, the unit itself was good however the software side of the system lacks. The QNAP on the other hand is great, very easy to use and setup straight out of the box, heaps of great added features such as cloud sync is an awesome feature to help in the storage of key essential data. I would highly recommend this unit. Works great as a media server too using PLEX.